The Caelish Princepality of Caelion
The Caelish Princepality of Caelion is a human nation state located in the north of the continent of Teriam. The capital city is called Caelum. The Princepality is ruled by a duo of leaders called the Princeps and the Secundus, alongside a council of the people's nobles and commoners. Currently there is no reigning Princeps with the death of Korvus Castus I. His mother, Lariel Castus '''is the current Secundus and de facto leader of the Caelish. This nation is part of the Northern Triumvirate '''History Arrival and Founding (Circa 1 AFT of the Third Age) Hundreds of years ago, a large group of humans landed on the shores of a continent. They numbered around two thousand people. They were survivors from an ancient imperium that collapsed under the strain of millions of people that made it and the overall corruption of the government and the authority in general. Escaping bandits, brigands and the Empire’s enemies, the survivors escaped on ships. The people of this Imperium were seafarers and so it seemed fitting that the sea would provide salvation in the wake of calamity. They sailed for what seemed years, finding small islands that were too small to handle two thousand people before finally making landfall on the main continent called Teriam. They explored inland and settled a town on the base of a mountain christened by the settlers as Tirith. They named the town Caelum. The surrounding environment was lush with vast green plains and beautiful landscapes of oak trees. There were vast herds of animals (deer, elephants, lions, rhinos, zebra, wolves and many more). It was paradise. One person remarked it was Heaven on earth. The leader of the survivors was known as Arctorius Castus. He was a captain in the army but deserted when the republic collapsed. Leading his family along with other citizens they met along the way to the harbour, Castus led the way to the founding of Caelum. The group, seeing Castus’s strength, elected Arctorius as the leader. He proved his valour during the exodus by rescuing as many citizens as he could, remaining steadfast, and for proving his strength in battle. They named him Princeps or leader. From there, House Castus has watched over Caelum and its citizens, the people’s eternal guardians. The Founding of the Caelum Angelus - Circa 52 AFT of the Third Age Fifty years after the arrival of the Caelish, Arctorius Castus ruled as Princeps for many years. He was blessed with a son, Kalos, in 5 AFT. After ruling for 35 years, Arctorius abdicated as Princeps in 35 AFT and Kalos ascended as Princeps. In 52 AFT, the small town had swelled in number, with the population increasing from two thousand to fifth-teen thousand. The Second Princeps Kalos Castus was as fair and honourable as his father was. He was well liked by virtually the entire town but he lacked the same fighting spirit that had driven his father. What he lacked in fighting ability, he made for in wisdom and intelligence. He was a keen tactician and strategist and often even led sorties, from the strong stone walls that would eventually make the interior of Caelum, to fight off marauding goblin raids. These goblin raids, while troublesome, were trivial and easily managed with time and determination. However these raids were the prelude to a massive goblin incursion that would later be known as the First Goblin Incursion. While the Caelish before were easily able to handle a few small groups of goblin tribes here and there, a massive unified coalition of goblins was a severe threat to the safety of Caelum. The Goblins were as a massive wave to the sturdy but small rock that was Caelum. Caelum could not hold out against this massive threat. It was only through the intervention of a coordinated strike from a demigryph charge that finally broke the goblins and sent them scurrying back to their underground hovels. The men and women who had tamed the demigryphs were all pronounced heroes of the realm and were given instructions to form an organisation dedicated to the very defence of Caelum. They act as the hammer while the Garrison acts as the anvil, with the Infantry of the Garrison pinning the enemy forces in place while the demigryphs smash into the rear and flanks of the enemy forces, just as they did to the Goblins in the first Battle for Caelum. Thus they stand today as one of the two guard organisations that protect Caelum. There are currently one thousand full members and only a company (about 100) ever leave Caelum together. The rest either stay in Caelum or sent in other companies on missions that require their various talents. This used to be the status quo but it changed when the Caelish-Ithilian War broke out. It required all 1000 members of the Caelum Angelus to be fully deployed. In numerous battles, companies of Angels who were deployed to specifically target the new monster horde the Orks had acquired. The angels were versatile with their combination of firearms, heavy armor and demigryph mounts. This allowed the Caelum Angelus to act as an effective counter to the monsters. Discovery of Gald Alfrell - 102 AFT to 152 AFT In 102 AFT, a large cave mouth was found near the mountain range of Tirith. A group of farmers had found the cave mouth close to their farms. They explored the cave and found it connected to a giant cave system. The find was reported to Caelum who sent a team of Arc Rangers alongside a cartographer team. The team eventually found a dwarven outpost. This was the first meeting between the two races. A diplomatic agent was sent in to help communication between the two species. It took a full year but eventually a common tongue was developed between the two species. In another two years, with communication fully developed in a new tongue called Common, a trade agreement was formed between the two species. The two species would grow close and a friendship developed between the two. The two species sent various groups of their own citizens as a sign of good faith. Dwarves would be sent to live in Caelum to compare their own blacksmithing to Caelish metalworks. Caelish citizens would be sent to help develop farms for the dwarves. The friendship would grow and grow and everything came to a head when the 3rd Goblin Blight occured in 152 AFT. The Dwarves found their entire western empire under attack. The past two goblin blights had resulted in thousands of dwarves dead to repel the hordes of goblins. This time however, it was not just goblins that attacked Gald Alfrell but worgs. The goblins had managed to tame worgs and now a vast army of large wolves had come to feast on Gald Alfrell. The dwarves had found they were facing a difficult and protracted war. The dwarves proceeded to send an envoy to the Caelish asking for aid. The Caelish were left with two choices: Abandon the dwarves to their war and thus spare Caelish causalities or they could help the dwarves by sending their forces to help repel the goblins. The Caelish decided to aid their allies by sending a force of twenty thousand strong. By doing this, the dwarves swore everlasting friendship to the Caelish and together the alliance of dwarves and humans defeated the goblins. With this victory, a new alliance was born. This alliance was the precursor to the modern day Northern Triumvirate. This precursor alliance was known as the Alfrell-Caelum League. The Storm War - 182 AFT to 192 AFT In 181 AFT, Caelish scouts had discovered the dragonborn kingdom of Astrovius. After meeting the Dragonborns, the two nations engaged in diplomacy. After three months of diplomacy, the two nations negotiated and came to a trading agreement and non-aggression pact. The Caelish hoped to build a friendly relationship with the Dragonborns, as they had done with the Alfrellians. A year later, the Caelish had found out from returning merchants that the Kingdom of Astrovius had been attacked by giants and subsequently, the dragonborns declared war on the Giants. Upon hearing this, the Caelish sent diplomats with the offer of assistance and supplies. The Dragonborns tentatively refused but continued the trading agreement. For the next 10 years of war, the Caelish would sent offers of assistance but were refused every time. Finally, in the tenth and final year of the war, the Caelish were sent a diplomatic envoy by the Dragonborns, asking for aid. The Caelish were reluctant to give aid, as the Princepality was split evenly in the decision. Many were bitter at being spurned for so long by the Dragonborns and wished to see them punished for their pride. However the Princeps Lara Castus knew that if they let the Dragonborns to be defeated, Teriam would be next in line for a Giant Invasion. Due to this, she decided to accept the request for aid and rallied the Caelish to the defence of Astrogar. She raised 15 000 soldiers and rendezvoused with the 15 000 dwarves sent by the Alfrellians at the eastern banks opposite of Astrogar. Together, they crossed the sea and landed upon Astrogarian soil. The League Army marched to Astrogar and faced the giants in open combat. To the dragonborns, facing the Giants in open combat was suicide but the League's technology was able to overwhelm the giants. The Dragonborns only had trebuchets but the Caelish and Alfrellians had cannons and other artillery to bare. The sheer firepower of the League overwhelmed the giants, as the giant's armor could not hope to hold against gunpowder weaponry. In the Second Siege of Astrovius, 20 giants were killed in a concentrated artillery barrage. For five minutes, the Giants were bombarded mercilessly. Whatever giants survived the barrage were finished off by eager fire drakes. The Ratmen, seeing the deaths of their tyrannical overlords, surrendered and begged for mercy. The Dragonborns would have slaughtered the ratmen, had the Caelish and Alfrellians not stopped them. The Ratmen explained that the Giants had beaten them in submission and threatened them with extinction if they didn't fight for the Giants. The Dragonborns, hearing this, reluctantly spared the Ratmen. With the war finished, the Dragonborns were given invitation into the League. They accepted and the League was transformed into the Northern Triumvirate. Caelish-Ithilian War - 300 AFT to 306 AFT In 300 AFT, a cartographer team was attacked in the jungles of Ferox. The surviving members were sent back with a declaration of war. The Orks of Ithil were coming for the Caelish. This would be the first time the Caelish would have to defend their own lands. The two sides would meet on the field of Uthun, just outside the borders of the Border Territories. The Caelish and the Ithilians clashed on the field. The Caelish narrowly achieved a pyrrhic victory as while they were able to defeat the Orks on the field and cause enough casualties to temporarily stop the Ork war effort. However the Caelish also took horrible casualties and worst of all, Princeps Caem Castus was killed in the battle, defeated by Chief Gor Calamatos. The disastrous victory was one bought with blood and it wouldn't be the last costly victory barely achieved by the Caelish. It, rather, was a taste of things to come as the Caelish-Ithilian war would be incredibly costly for both sides and more tears and blood would be shed as the war raged on. With the victory at Uthun, the orks had to retreat back to Ferox and regain their strength. The war would not reignite until 303 AFT where the Orks pillaged the Border Territories and eventually broke through to the Outer Territories, despite stiff Caelish resistance at Castle Caelos (the gateway into the Outer Territories). The orks terrorised the Outer Territories but were eventually pushed back and defeated at the remains of Castle Caelos. The Orks were again forced to retreat but returned with a vengeance and in far greater number than previously assaults. This time, the Orks were able to steamroll their way into the Outer Territories and laid siege to Asurial's Wall, the gateway into the Inner Territories and into Caelum itself. However the war changed when Secundus Lariel led a new Triumvirate army and destroyed the ork army there. She personally defeated and killed Garth Wrathtooth in single combat. From there, she led the army to Aeritium and defeated the Ork army there and crippled Gorth Wrathtooth. From there on, the Triumvirate army met the ork forces at Castle Caelos where the Orks were soundly defeated and Gar Calamatos was personally killed by the vengeful Secundus. With this victory at Castle Caelos, the orks were completely expelled from the Princepality. The Triumvirate army then travelled into Ferox, where they prepared to besiege Ithil. However the Orks offered an honor duel to settle the war. Princeps Korvus Castus, then aged 17, accepted the duel and personally duelled and defeated the Ork Champion, M'roth Calamatos. Current Affairs - 342 AFT The current year of 342 AFT, the Princepality has experienced a period of peace. There has been no war since the end of the Caelish-Ithilian war in 306 AFT. The Caelish spent a great amount of time rebuilding after the war and it wasn't until 320 AFT that all of the towns and settlements in the Outer Territories had been more or less rebuilt or resettled. From 330 AFT to 340 AFT, the Caelish focused on the Border Territories. The towns had to be rebuilt from scratch as they were always vulnerable whenever the Orks came back. In ten years, the Caelish founded one town, Sicil and seven villages, Aestavale, Humil, Netri and more. As of 340 AFT, the eight settlements in the Border Territories were thriving. However, in early 342 AFT, Aestavale was raided by orks, sparking anger in the Caelish. War was considered but eventually the Caelish reconsidered. For the next two years after the raid at Aestavale, some villages were going mysteriously going dark. When patrols were sent out to investigate, the villages were abandoned and judging by the state of the settlements, they had been abandoned for quite some time. To combat these mysterious disappearances, the Caelish established official investigations but very little was ever accomplished. By 342, the Caelish decided to hire members of the Order to investigate the disappearances in early January 342 AFT. For months, there was little news until finally in early June, there was finally news about a battle in Humil and a group that not only protected the village but also successfully rescued the captured civilians. The Caelish made use of this group by hiring them for special missions, suitable for their calibre. They would later rue their decision to hire the group known as the Rowdypuffs as the group would caught red handed in the assassination of Korvus Castus. In late June, Korvus Castus was found dead with two swords in his chest, with the Rowdypuffs right next to his body. Secundus Lariel rushed to avenge the fallen Princeps but was unable to. In the wake of Princeps Korvus' death, the Caelish Princepality had been put in a state of total alert, with the entire military mobilised to patrol the entirety of the Princepality, in an effort to find the assassins. Constitutional System The constitutional system of the Caelish began with the arrival of the Caelish in 1 AFT. While the Caelish had unanimously voted Arctorius as Princeps to lead them, they also formed an inner council of the best and brightest of the Caelish to govern Caelum alongside the Princeps and the Secundus. These best and brightest would form the noble houses of Caelum. Later on, the Caelish would also form the organisation of the Praetors, a group of five hand picked people. Princeps and Secundus * The leader of the Caelish is known as the Princeps, which translates to leader in Caelish. The Princeps acts as something to akin to a King and acts as head of state for the Caelish. The Princeps also acts as the representative in the Northern Triumvirate, an alliance of three nations, the Caelish, Astrovians and Alfrellians. The People's Council * There is also the People’s Council, known as the Concilio. Its members consists of the head of houses of each of the Noble houses in Caelum.. There were about 15 human nobles, one representative for each Noble House and also electors from the various species that make up Caelum’s population. It also has representatives from the Middle and Lower classes. These representatives are called Legatums, their duty is to look out for the Middle and Lower classes interests. These Legatums are elected annually through popular votes every two years. The first among equals in this council is known as the Primus. The Primus is usually picked by popular acclaim by the Concilio for their deeds and achievements. Only the most excellent and skilled people are considered for the position of Primus. Praetors * The Praetors consist of 10 hand picked men and women. They act as personal advisers to the Princeps and Secundus but also act as immediate bodyguards, in emergency situations. There are five praetors assigned to the Princeps and Secundus. Elector * An Elector is the elected representative for a species in Caelum. When Caelum started letting in different species, they gave the new species citizenship and land to live in. These new species such as the goliaths and elves came in large groups and the leaders of each group were elected as Electors. The jobs of these people was to supervise their people and attend the weekly meetings at the Concilio, where they would represent their peoples interest. Military The military of the Caelish are made of volunteers who are trained and armed by the state. The Caelish are amongst the most disciplined armies in the world. Caelish armies are called Exercitus, with an exercitus generally fielding ten units of Infantry, five units of Marksman, five catapults or other siege equipment, and any five units of cavalry. Infantry Division * Firstly, there is the main Infantry division. Each division is on a volunteer basis, with conscription only allowed in times of distress and desperation (see the City state Wars). Caelum provides the equipment for each soldier and offers professional soldiery, each soldier receiving a monthly stipend. The primary infantry regiment is the Caelum Shields. They are trained in using spears and shields (8 ft in length), longbows and have longswords on hand. While they can use bows, their range and accuracy does not match the Marksman division. They rely heavily on teamwork, utilising shield wall formations to form the foundations of a Caelum army battle line. The main strategy is each unit of soldiers is broken up into 100 men, 25 in a line, with 4 lines in total. They are commanded by a Captain. The front line locks formation and forms the shield wall. The lines behind them use bows and fire at the enemy before they then switch to spears when the enemy is too close. Marksman Division * Secondly, there is the Marksman division. Each soldier is equipped lightly with leather cuirasses. Marksman are armed with thunder cannons (firearms). They have short swords on hand in case of melee. The accuracy of the marksman is excellent. The range of the thunder cannons are generally 300 ft. Each unit of Marksman is 50 men, commanded by a Lieutenant. Mounted Division (Cavalry Corps) Thirdly, there is the Cavalry Corps. While the Caelum Angelus operates as a cavalry unit using demigryphs, the Cavalry Corps uses an assortment of animals as mounts. The Cavalry corps acts as the city’s mobile defence force, primarily acting as scouts and also as shock units in war. The soldiers are split up into units (companies) made of 30 men each, including the captain leading the unit. Each unit is given a number corresponding with their division. An example name would LCCA = Lion Corps Company A. There are 4 overall divisions, the grand total being 2000 men and women. These divisions are called: * Eagle Corps. The Eagle corps is the most mobile, as they are lightly armored wearing only mail armor covered by military clothing. They are armed with bows and their mounts are Great Eagles. * Lion Corps. This division wears plate armor complemented by pelts. They wield large broadswords and axes. Their helms are forged in the shape of a roaring lion. Their mounts are male lions, each tamed at birth to focus their aggression towards only the enemy. These lions are equipped with plate armor and saddles and are twice the size of normal wild lions. * Rhino Corps. This division is the most heavily armored unit. The Rhinos used are not ordinary. They are War Rhinos. Their hide is incredibly tough, with plate armor as well to augment this natural protection. The riders here are incredibly well armored, wearing the thickest plate armor available. They are equipped with massive war hammers, thick oaken shields and massive claymores. There are 3 soldiers on each rhino, one steering and two on either side of the rhino. Essentially these soldiers are the tanks of the army, and are only used in pitched battles, used primarily to break up the battle lines and make a hole in the formation of the enemy. * Horse Corps. This unit is your standard horse cavalry. Each soldier is equipped with standard mail armor and are armed with lances and swords. There are 1280 active soldiers. Each unit is made up of a company of 30 soldiers, including a Commanding officer. Artillery Division * Fourthly, there is the Siege Weaponry Division. Caelum’s engineers boast many fine weaponry. They have built trebuchets (mounted on the walls and towers), catapults, ballistas and cannons. These artillery are very powerful and is a key weapon for the Caelish. Caelum Angelus * There is the Organisation of the Caelum Angelus, an elite force of Demigryph mounted knights. There are only ever 1000 fully anointed, with squires being trained to take any available positions, usually in the case of death or retirement. A full member of this group are called Eques (insert name). Those in training are called Ministrator. Eques are presented, upon on formal appointment, are issued with a golden eagle on a chain. Ministrators are given white eagles to symbolise their training. The leader of the Angelus is known as the Kaetor. The current Kaetor is Marius Arlington. * Each soldier are equipped with full plate armor, blessed by the High Priests of the Rhovorn, the pantheon of Caelish Gods. The High King of the Rhovorn is Cael, God of Justice. Each soldier is armed with heavy halberds and large thunder cannons. These thunder cannons are exceptionally powerful, designed specifically by Tiae’s Mind. * Each demigryph are tamed individually by a Ministrator in the wilds of the countryside. This is done as their final test, to see if they are worthy of becoming full fledged members. The demigryph are amongst the most fearsome of the tamed beasts. Only the elusive Arch-Griffins and rare dinosaurs of the south can exceed their ferocity. Arc Rangers * There is also the Scouting Division, the Arc Rangers Corps. The Arc Troopers are trained spies and as such operate in complete secrecy, with the very existence of the organisation considered mere folk superstition by outsiders of Caelum. They consist of artificers and rouges. They are skilled in espionage, devious rogues and ruthless assassins to the enemies of the Caelish. Typically, as artificers, they dabble in alchemy, designing different types of poisons. There is also a sub sector of the Rangers, known as Tiae’s Mind. These rangers are artificers and are constantly at work, inventing new tech and studying. The thunder cannon was only recently invented around 40 years ago, around the time of Caelish-Ithilian war. Utilising the designs of the muskets and firearms of both the Caelish and the Alfrellians, Tiae's Mind was able to produce the versatile and powerful thunder cannon. The leader of this sub sector was known as Head Inventor. Their skill with the longbow in almost supernatural, their accuracy consistently true. They can seemingly blend into the shadows, their mottled cloaks shielding them from view. They fight using one throwing dagger and one particularly large dagger (it might as well be a shortsword, many have remarked). They fight as dual wielders and can throw a dagger better than most, if not all. This organisation is usually headed by a member of the Nobilis. They are given the title Arc Commandant. Garrison Corps * The Garrison Division of Caelum are the military forces allotted to Caelum’s defence. The Garrison wear light leather armor, and are generally armed with with short swords, spears and circular steel shields. This division is led by a Ceptorem. They are also led by other military leaders such as lieutenants and captains. They are essentially standard infantry but relegated to guard duty. They are constantly man the walls in patrols or fixed positions of artillery (ballistae or field cannons). They specialise in urban warfare rather than open warfare in pitched battles. They are the Police Force of Caelum and often prowl the underground criminal districts to root out and destroy any criminal entities. Pantheon of the Caelish Religion The Territories of the Caelish Princepality The territories of the Caelish are divided into three areas, known as the Inner Territories, Outer Territories and Border Territories. The Inner Territories consists of the area located between the Tirith mountain range and the border of the Outer Territories. The Border Territories consists of the area located at the southern border outside Kaelith Valley of the Outer Territories. Inner Territories The landscape of the Caelish Princepality is a massive upside down L mountain range with a massive valley range in the middle that separates the Inner, Outer and Border territories from each other. The Inner Territories are named because they are located in between Mt Tirith and the Inner Hills of Kaelith. The capital city of Caelum is nestled in the corner of Mt Tirith. Directly south and resting on the shoulders of the Kaelith Hills is the large farming town of Carta. West of Carta is Asran and further west of Asran is Cael’s Landing. Directly west of Caelum is Maleth. Caelum * Is the capital city of the Princepality and is the largest, housing over 200 000 citizens. It is the seat of the government and is the most heavily defended place in the Princepality as a result. Asran, Maleth and Carta * These three settlements are massive farming estates. The land they are built on is the most fertile soil in North Teriam and the food produced here is always plentiful and nourishing. Cael’s Landing * This is the first settlement the Caelish established on Teriam. It is the main port town of the Caelish and provides a bountiful fish harvest. The Great River Bridge * In 195 AFT, the Caelish proposed to the Astrovians, the construction of a massive bridge that would connect Teriam and Astrogar, as the two continents were only separated by the massive Kael River. The Caelish and the Astrovians co-funded the construction together and after 10 years of building, the massive 50 km long bridge was finally built through Caelish, Dragonborn and Alfrellians engineers. Outer Territories Located in the valley range of Kaelith lays the five large towns of Ravenna, Lorath, Aeritium, Kapael and Aealiath. There are also two outposts located at the border between the Inner and Outer Territories. Most of the Caelish population dwell here. Over three hundred thousand souls live in the valley range. It is a very fertile land and densely populated by an abundance of fauna. Ravenna * This settlement is the largest port of the Caelish Princepality. Half of the Caelish fleet is nestled here, with over 100 hundred warships located here. Lorath, Aeritium, Kapael and Aealiath * These settlements are large towns that are surrounded by vast farms. Dyle Town * This town is a large town nestled between Aeritium and Aealiath. Border Territories Located outside the valley and mountain range of Tirith, this is the least populated sector with only three settlements and two outposts at the border between the Outer and Border Territories. These three territories are the port town of Sicil and the farming towns of Netri and Humil. Sicil * This settlement is the smallest port in the Princepality and houses 30 Warships. Netri * This settlement is located to the left of Castle Caelos and is a frontier settlement. Humil * This settlement is located to the right of Castle Caelos and is a frontier settlement. Aestavale * This settlement is located far to the south of Sicil. People The humans of Caelum are of many different colours and generally in appearance are similar to the native humans but have key differences that set them apart. They are longer lived than the normal strand as they can live generally double the average length of most humans. The Rhovorn blessed the Caelish upon their arrival for always keeping their faith, even in the times of hardship that came before and after the fall of the Twilight Imperium. They blessed them with eternal youth. A Caelish man will retain the same youthfulness of his prime all the way to his death. These gifts are honoured every year on the day of the Rhovorn which coincides with the Caelish’s arrival on Teriam. They hold a grand festival that lasts 12 days, 1 day for each month spent at sea. This blessing however only extends to those who still are faithful to the Rhovorn. As such, those who lose their faith, lose their eternal youth.